A TEENAGER was back re-enacting Viking battle scenes yesterday, hours after being stabbed in the cheek when a stunt went wrong.

The 18-year-old was stabbed just under his eye by a 23-inch sword while taking part in a "skirmish" on the beach at Bull Bay, Anglesey, yesterday morning as part of the Anglesey Viking Festival.

He was taken to hospital but was back in Amlwch hours later re-enacting Viking battles as part of the two-day festival, which attracted 8,000 people to Amlwch, Bull Bay and Moelfre over the weekend.

The man, named only as "Mat", got into trouble when a choreographed "fight" went wrong at around 10.30am. He was struck in the cheek as he used his shield to parrya blow from another Viking's sword.

Coastguards, who were on hand to help with the incident, said the blade had missed his eyeball by 2mm, but festival organisers said all "Vikings" taking part in demonstrations used specially blunted equipment.

He was treated by St John Ambulance at the scene. Festival organisers said he was taken to hospital as a precaution.

Amlwch Viking Festival treasurer Mark Bateman said hours later the man, thought to be from East Anglia, was back in Anglesey taking part in another demonstration.

He said: "We insisted he went to hospital as part of our risk assessment. He's rather pleased, because the protocol is that if any Viking strikes the other and draws blood, they have to buy him a pint."

Mr Bateman said the incident reflected the "high level of intensity" put into the demonstrations by participants, who were all trained members of Viking re-enactment societies in Britain and Ireland.

He added that the festival, held every two years, had been the biggest yet and had been "a roaring success".

"We had 7,000 or 8,000 gathered on the beach at Amlwch Port on Saturday to see the boat burning ceremony," he said.

As well as re-enactments and the boat-burning - which took place at 10pm on Saturday and reflected a traditional Viking funeral - the festival involved live bands, a procession through Amlwch, a "bear hunt" for children and a late-night fireworks display.

The boat-burning ceremony saw participants set fire to a boat which had been specially constructed for the festival by Amlwch carpenter Peter Williams. It was decorated with Viking shields made by pupils at Amlwch, Pensarn and Rhosybol primary schools.

The festival attracted visitors from as far away as the USA. Mr Bateman he hoped it would continue to raise the profile of Anglesey as a tourist destination.